A telling symbol of wasteful public expenditure in Akwa Ibom State is the abandoned multi-billion naira Goss-Community Printing Press, lying idle at the premises of The Pioneer, the state-owned newspaper corporation. Installed in 2015 during the administration of Senator Godswill Akpabio, this ultra-modern press was once celebrated as a flagship achievement in what was dubbed a “legacy of uncommon transformation.” Sadly, it has never been put to use.
Private media houses across the country thrive on similar technology, but this high-grade investment, funded by public resources, has been left to deteriorate, unutilized and uncared for. Its abandonment raises serious questions about the motivation behind its procurement and the lack of follow-through in ensuring its usefulness.
The consequences of such negligence go beyond financial waste. Prolonged dormancy of complex machinery often leads to technical degradation, making eventual activation more costly or even impossible. Worse still, the loss of potential job creation and economic stimulation in the publishing sector is a missed opportunity that the state cannot afford, especially with a large population of unemployed youths.
Governor Umo Eno, who has positioned his administration on the pillars of economic restoration and industrial rejuvenation, cannot afford to let this legacy of waste persist. Reviving the Goss-Community Press would not only demonstrate fiscal responsibility but also catalyze economic activity, especially in media and youth employment.
Commissioning the press could serve as a bold step toward redeeming public trust, empowering local professionals, and offering a functional response to youth unemployment that often fuels social vices like cultism and political thuggery.
The continued decay of the Goss-Community Printing Press is a silent scandal. Governor Umo Eno must act, swiftly and decisively, before this monument to mismanagement becomes a permanent stain on the conscience of successive administrations.
